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Hungary Visa Information

Learn4good provides general information on study, travel, work visa and business visa requirements and the addresses of embassies worldwide. You should contact your local embassy or consulate for the most up-to-date information or visa forms.

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Who needs a Visa?Short term stay, not exceeding 90 days. The following countries do not need a visa for Hungary:

Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Albania* (Only citizens with biometric passports are exempt from the visa requirement. Biometric passports have been issued since May 2010), Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina* (Only citizens with biometric passports are exempt from the visa requirement. Biometric passports have been issued since 15 October 2009), Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia (FYROM) (Only citizens with biometric passports are exempt from the visa requirement), Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova* (Only citizens with biometric passports are exempt from the visa requirement. Biometric passports have been issued since 1 January 2011), Monaco, Montenegro* (Only citizens with biometric passports are exempt from the visa requirement), Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Northern Marianas, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Serbia* (Only citizens with biometric passports are exempt from the visa requirement. This does not apply to persons with passports issued by the Serbian Coordination directorate Koordinaciona uprava), Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan (Only citizens with a passport issued by Taiwan which contains an identity card number are exempt from the visa requirement. The same applies to citizens with old Taiwanese passports with “Republic of China” on the front page, if the stated place of birth is Taiwan and the passport contains an identity card number), United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City State, Venezuela.

* Citizens with diplomatic passports are exempt from the visa requirement.

NOTE: A visa is only a preliminary permission for entry, which does not authorize its bearer automatically to enter the country. The traveller may be requested to provide proof of the existence of the conditions of his entry and stay in Hungary and, if he is not able to fulfil this, he may be returned from the border.

Types of Schengen visas

1. Airport transit visa (A):Authorizes the bearer to enter the international zone of the airport and to remain there until the time of the departure of the flight to the destination country. Only nationals of the following states are obliged to apply for an airport transit visa: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka.

The following categories of persons shall be exempt from the requirement to hold an airport transit visa: a) Holders of a valid uniform visa, national long-stay visa or residence permit issued by a Member State; b) Third-country nationals holding a valid visa issued by

or when they return from the above mentioned countries after having used the visa;

The visa exemption for holders of valid visas issued by Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania, Croatia, Ireland, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan or the United States of America is independent of whether the holder is travelling to the visa issuing country or to another third country.

If the third-country citizen’s visa issued by Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania, Croatia, Ireland, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan or the United States of America has expired and the citizen wants to travel back from a country different from the visa issuing country, the citizen is not exempt from the requirements to hold an airport transit visa.

Andorra, Canada, Japan, San Marino or the United States of America guaranteeing the holder’s unconditional readmission;

d) for family members of citizens of the Union effective under the 2004/38/EEC irrespectively whether travelling alone, in attendance upon the citizen of the Union or for joining the citizen of the Union;

e) Holders of diplomatic passports;

f) Flight crew members who are nationals of a contracting Party to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.

2.) Short stay uniform visa (C):

Authorizes the bearer to a single, double or multiple entries and, in case of an uninterrupted stay, to a stay of maximum 90 days, while in case of an interrupted stay, to a stay of altogether maximum 90 days within the 6 months counted from the date of the first entry.

The documents needed for visa applications

Certification of legal residing

Travel medical insurance

Besides meeting the above general requirements, the applicant shall also supply a certificate of the financial coverage of his/her expenses, and a certificate of the purpose of the visit.

The financial coverage of the expenses can be certified with one of the following documents

an original income certificate of the employer or

a bank account statement on the account turnover during the last three months or

a pension slip or

a certificate of registration in the case of an individual entrepreneur or one-man firm or

a valid ticket, a certificate of a reserved and prepaid journey, accommodation or

in the case of minors, a declaration by the legal representative on the coverage of the costs and on the existence of the financial coverage or

a letter of invitation issued and endorsed by the Office of Immigration and Nationality.

The visa fee shall be waived for applicants belonging to one of the following categories:

children under the age of 6;

school pupils, students, postgraduate students and accompanying teachers who undertake stays for the purpose of study or educational training;

researchers from third countries travelling for the purpose of carrying out scientific research;

representatives of non-profit organisations aged 25 years or less participating in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events organised by non-profit organisations;

family members of EU/EEA nationals (European Economic Area);

holders of diplomatic passports.

NOTE: The visa fee shall be paid when the application is submitted. The consulate does not charge any further fees other than those mentioned above for issuing a visa. If the application for a visa is refused, the fee will not be reimbursed.

How long does it take to issue a visa?According to law decision upon the visa application must not exceed 15 days. In individual cases the period may be extended up to a maximum of 30 calendar days, in specific cases up to 60 calendar days. In case of countries with a visa facilitation agreement with the EU this time period is 10 days.

Long stay VisasRegulations on a stay exceeding 90 days fall within the competence of national authorities, therefore there is no uniform routine among the Schengen Member States. Foreign nationals requesting entry to Hungary with a purpose of a long stay may submit a residence permit application. In case of successful application, s/he will get a visa authorizing him/her to a single entry for receiving a residence permit and to stay for maximum 30 days in Hungary. The decision on the residence permit falls within the competence of the regional directorates of the Office for Immigration in Hungary.

Concerning the regulation (EU) No 265/2010 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 March 2010 amending the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement and Regulation (EC) No 562/2006 (Schengen Borders Code) as regards movement of persons with a long-stay visa, a person who possesses a long-term stay (D) visa issued by any of the Member States Representations may travel in the Schengen Area 3 months in every 6 months period under the same conditions regarding holders of a residence permit.

Basic requirements:

a wholly and legibly completed, signed “residence permit” application form (can be downloaded from the website of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs ;

valid passport (the validity of which has to exceed that of the requested visa by at least 3 months);

1 passport-size colour photo (not older than 6 months);

supporting documents of the purpose of stay;

justification of the permit of return or further travel;

supporting documents of the accommodation;

the documents certifying subsistence in Hungary;

health insurance or equal financial means.

Where to submit a visa application?Uniform visa applications have to be submitted at the representation of the country which is the main

destination of the visit (the main destination is either defined by the purpose of entry or – if the applicant plans to visit more Schengen countries with the same purpose – by the length of stay). If visiting several states with stays of the same duration the consulate responsible for issuing the visa is that of the country of the first entry into the Schengen area. Thus, according to the above described Schengen regulations applicants having Hungary as the main destination, or the country of first entry in case of a trip stretching through several Schengen Member States can submit their visa applications at the Hungarian representations. It is sometimes difficult to determine the main destination, for example where the traveller intends to make several consecutive short stays of approximately the same length in various Schengen States. In this case, you should go to the consulate of the first country you intend to visit.

Visa appeal procedureIf the visa is refused, or for the annulment, revocation of visas applicants have the right to appeal. Appeals can be submitted personally either by the applicant or by the person who has a power of attorney from the applicant at the Hungarian Consulate (that refused the visa application) 8 days within the date of receiving the decision on refusal and 3 days within the date of receiving the decision for the annulment or revocation of a visa. The Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decides on the appeals within 15 days and on the appeals against decision for the annulment or revocation of a visa within 5 days.

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The viewer/user of this web page should use the above information as a guideline only, and should always contact the above sources or the user’s own government representatives for the most up-to-date information at that moment in time, before making a final decision to travel to that country or destination.